Oscar De La Hoya is no stranger to the complexities of strained fighter-promoter relationships. His well-publicized split with unified super middleweight champion Canelo Alvarez and his feud with Ryan Garcia are prime examples. Today, however, the Golden Boy weighed in on the turbulent relationship between Mike Tyson and Don King, including the serious allegations Tyson had leveled against King. What exactly are those allegations?

Back in 1998, more than 25 years ago, ‘Iron’ Mike Tyson sued his then promoter Don King, alleging that King had defrauded him out of $100 million while promoting him after his release from prison in 1995. While Tyson didn’t get his $100 million from King, they settled out of court, with King paying $14 million to Tyson, which went to paying off Tyson’s massive debt at the time. Regardless, the head of Golden Boy Promotions feels King was not at fault. 

Oscar De La Hoya advocates for fighters to look out for their own best interests

During the latest episode of the Club Shay Shay podcast, Oscar De La Hoya discussed with former NFL tight end Shannon Sharpe, about the role of a promoter in a boxer’s career. Sharpe then brought up the relationship between Mike Tyson and Don King, specifically on the subject of the gifts being presented by promoters to their fighters. He questioned whether these gifts were genuinely given or if they were ultimately deducted from the fighter’s paychecks.

Oscar responded to this, stating, “Oh yeah, and whoever’s participating in the fight, it’s coming off their percentage as well. So, yeah, nothing’s free.” This led Sharpe to question whether the fighters were aware that the gifts were coming out of their own pocket. Oscar stumbled with his words for a second but quickly explained that a lot of fighters don’t like to acknowledge these things, and would even like to stay away from the subject altogether. 

“A lot of fighters, they just turn away, they don’t want to hear about it. They don’t want to, I guess, know that’s real. They just want to shy away from it and let somebody else deal with it. I think that it’s the athletes’ responsibility,” Oscar told Sharpe. He then turned to Mike Tyson and Don King, referencing their tumultuous relationship and the public perception that King ripped off Tyson. 

“People keep saying Don King ripped off Mike Tyson and this and that. Well, Mike Tyson made about 400-500 million, that’s his money. What he does with that, it’s not Don King’s fault,” Oscar added. According to a recent report from Yahoo Finance, Tyson made about $430 million from his fights and endorsement deals, which he blew in a mind-blowing 15-year-long spending spree that led to his bankruptcy in 2003.

Regardless, Oscar added, “So, you have to, as an athlete, look out for your best interests as well.” However, did you know that Mike Tyson worked with Bob Arum at the beginning of his career? But it didn’t last very long.

Why did Bob Arum and Mike Tyson part ways?

Bob Arum and Mike Tyson parted ways primarily due to the challenges posed by Tyson’s rapid rise in the boxing world. According to Arum, Tyson’s management sought “a fight every week” to keep him out of trouble, but Top Rank could not meet this demand. Arum explained in an interview with talkSport, “Tyson was so intimidating, that he knocked out any opponent that we got him in one round.” 

Then, of course, it proved problematic for ESPN’s fight cards’ reliance on commercial time. As a result, Tyson’s management looked for opportunities elsewhere, leading to his partnership with Don King. Although Arum was impressed by Tyson’s talent, the logistical and promotional hurdles led to their split. 

Having said that, it appears Oscar De La Hoya believes that Mike Tyson was responsible for his fortune and should have better cared about his finances. On the other hand, Oscar didn’t feel veteran promoter Don King was solely in the wrong. However, do you agree with Oscar’s statement? Was it Tyson’s fault?